Paying Subscriptions On Time Is Very Eco Friendly Indeed!
Renewing your magazine subscription on time is helping the environment?
I recently received a subscription reminder for my National Geographic membership - way in advance of my current subscription ending. And I almost put it to one side.
Knowing that I would renew it - why did I leave it to one side for later? Was it because I thought why give them my money several months before they needed it? Was it because I was hoping to book a vacation and thought I’d leave the money in my account just in case?
It doesn’t matter why - because I didn’t do it in the end - I paid for another 2 years (the most you can pay for in advance) there and then.
Why Was I So Prompt?
Firstly, I know that - like every other organisation in the world - they would remind me again nearer the time - sometimes several times in fact so there was no chance that I would forget to do it. And that was one of the reasons.
Why create all that extra administration and paperwork and postage and energy waste - when all I needed was 1 piece of paper.
If you follow the possible paper and energy trail of not renewing until the last minute - it starts to get a bit messy……
1) Computer system at NG HQ flags my account up as needing renewing - so 1 staff member or just the computer software itself triggers the 1 renewal letter to be sent to me - along with the renewal form and their standard complimentary envelope. It gets printed, gets posted and gets delivered to my door.
2) I receive the reminder and leave it on the side.
3) After receiving no reply, the NG computer triggers a further reminder letter, payment form and complimentary envelope which is printed, posted and delivered again.
4) I receive the reminder and immediately throw it away into the recycling - as I know I already have the original form - and I remind myself to send it off this time - but leave it a week or so.
5) The NG computer still hasn’t received my renewal and has passed through various screening systems that NG staff are no doubt monitoring and keeping details of. This processing isn’t free and certainly uses up a lot of NG’s time and resources.
The system then triggers a final reminder letter for me - with the obligatory renewal form and envelope - all printed, posted and delivered.
6) I receive the final reminder and am encouraged to act on it - sending the payment in the post - and throwing out the other reminder letter, form and envelope for recycling.
I’m also sure that if you allowed your subscription to expire - that most companies would continue to write to you to try to in you back again - wasting more resources and putting up the price of it in the process!
I mean they can’t staff all those offices, computers and memberships and send all those letters for free every 12 months to millions of people!
What a waste!
And It Doesn’t End There…..
I have the choice to renew for either 1 or 2 years on the form - and if I only do 1 year - this all gets repeated every 12 months!
If you can subscribe for longer - do so. Not only does this save on renewal paperwork - but it’s better for you! You get to pay today’s price for it rather than the cost in 2 or 4 years time - which will no doubt be higher!
If memberships give you the chance to sign up by direct debit then do this instead as it saves them having to send out the renewal form and envelope to you - they just need the ‘Thank You’ letter to be sent every year. You sometimes get a better deal this way too as you are saving them money.
If your membership company is a UK charity - then make sure you sign up for the Gift Aid scheme - where they can claim back the tax on your donation or membership fee - raising more money for something you believe in and support - and at no extra cost to you!
If you can, sign up for their details and/or magazines to be sent to you via email - saving on printing and postage. Make sure that you also tick the boxes to say that you don’t want to receive whatever it is that you know you won’t read - that way you get less wasted mail - whether it’s their newsletter or junk mail.
If you are joining a company for the first time - make sure you tell them if you do not want their ‘joining’ gift. Again, this will save them money and ultimately the environment as it won’t be affected by them getting it to you!
And Finally:
Unless it says FREEPOST only on the envelopes - always put your own stamp on the envelope so that the companies you are supporting can keep more money for themselves.
Companies or charities with more money in the bank (rather than being spent on postage and renewal letters) will ultimately stay in business longer, give you a better service and achieve their goals more successfully as a result!
Related Articles:
Tags: bbc wildlife, charity membership, charity subscription, eco friendly, Eco Friendly Business, Environment, magazine, magazine subscription, member of a charity, national geographic, reduce junk mail, wildlife charity, wildlife magazine
